It’s a national trend: 60-something retired homeowners downsizing, escaping the frustrating maintenance of a big house and choosing something compact and carefree.

But that’s not for retired businessman Alan Kesten.

Three years ago, he sold a spacious University Park home and did something unexpected. He bought a coveted parcel of waterfront property on Steven’s Point in the established neighborhood of Indian Beach/Sapphire Shores,...

John Cannon, a home builder since the 1980s, doesn’t seem to be getting tired of doing what he does best.

For the third year in a row, Cannon led the field in the 2016 Parade of Homes design awards competition with four “best overall” awards. We published the results in Saturday’s Real Estate section. They also are online at heraldtribune.com.

John Cannon Homes was the co-leader in both 2014 and 2015 with three “best overall”...

SARASOTA, Fla., March 4, 2016 -- John Cannon Homes was the most recognized home builder in this year's Parade of Homes, sweeping the competition with sixteen awards including four in the category of "Best Overall," in a presentation held Thursday by the Manatee-Sarasota Building Industry Association.

John Cannon Homes was awarded Best Overall for The Akarra III in The Vineyards at The Lake Club; The Avianna at The Concession; The Caaren, in The Links at Rosedale; and The Kiandra...

John Cannon Homes won “Best Of Design” on Houzz, the leading platform for custom home building design and home remodeling.

The Sarasota-based custom home builder was chosen by the more than 35 million monthly unique users that comprise the Houzz community from among more than 1 million active home building, remodeling and design industry professionals.

The Best Of Houzz is awarded annually in three categories: design, customer...

New home construction on Southwest Florida's barrier islands hardly took a breath during the Great Recession, but the economic recovery has sparked a new burst of activity.

Unlike larger housing developments on the mainland that were shelved during the downturn, some for years, many builders of custom luxury homes continued to find work — though at a much slower pace — on the region's keys.

LONGBOAT KEY – A new construction estate on the sandy shores of Longboat Key sold Wednesday for $6.8 million – the most lucrative deal on the island in two years and one of the most expensive homes built since the market’s collapse.

The 6,959-square-foot mansion on the Manatee County side of Longboat Key becomes the fourth island residence owned by the buyers, who are originally for Tennessee. The baby boomers already own three...

Home builders nationwide and in Southwest Florida are feeling more confident about their business than they have in the past seven years.

The latest National Association of Home Builders / Wells Fargo Housing Market Index suggests that single-family home construction will accelerate in the months ahead, a trend Southwest Florida builders are already seeing.

The index, released last week, climbed to 57 from a revised 51 in June...

Builders expecting another hot selling season at Rosedale Links at other points east of the Interstate

By HAROLD BUBIL – Sarasota Herald-Tribune

The salespeople at Rosedale Links do not look at all worried that they missed the prime selling season.

Late spring is not the ideal time to be opening model homes, especially after a frantically busy winter season elsewhere in the market. But Kate Powell of Ashton Woods Homes is confident that the builder is well positioned to...

New home vs. resale? I'm not sure if that question is the third rail of real estate journalism, but I am going to touch it anyway. Just this once.

Why is it an electrically charged question? Look at the vested interests and the money involved. Realtors -- there are a whole lot of them, with a lot of commission checks at risk -- will tell you there is nothing wrong with resale houses, and often they are in a more convenient areas than...

Sarasota luxury homebuilder John Cannon has been appointed to the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee Business Advisory Board for the school's business college. The advisory board, now in its third year, is helping the college work toward becoming separately accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The board consists of more than a dozen leaders from for-profit and nonprofit organizations in the Sarasota-...

The Parade of Homes design awards are just a bonus for home builders who won them.

The real victory comes in the form of increased sales and exposure. Builders of the 65 models entered in the 2013 parade reported brisk traffic at the models during the marketing event, which ends today.

SARASOTA - John Cannon Homes Inc. is among a growing list of local builders that recorded post-recession high sales last year, the result of heightened demand from out-of-state buyers.

The Lakewood Ranch-based custom home builder said Thursday it sold 27 new homes in the fourth quarter valued at $23.3 million -- the most of any three-month period dating back to the mid-2000s real estate boom.

"We saw interest in the custom-home market begin to pick up in early 2011 and continue on through 2012. With used inventory at the lowest it's been in years, our buyers looked to build new custom homes...

MANATEE COUNTY - Amid a rebound of luxury home sales in Southwest Florida, a local investment group has spent just under $8 million to take control of vacant land planned as a second phase to the tony Concession golf course community east of Lakewood Ranch.

Buyer Concession 113 LLC is headed by Vanguard Land Co. founder John Peshkin and also includes Kevin Daves, Concession's developer...

The Hunt Group’s Newton Development, which developed the original roughly 650-home community off State Road 70, just east of I-75, is nearing the start of construction for Rosedale Links, with three model homes already built.Home sales for Rosedale Links are expected to begin sometime in November, when the models open.

Located east of Interstate 75 at the end of Bee Ridge Road, just before it turns south, The Hammocks is one of Sarasota's most attractive inland neighborhoods. Gated and deed-restricted, it is a heavily wooded community with winding roads, scenic ponds — some with fountains — and dense nature preserves.

Nothing speaks to the health of the home-building industry like a few mounds of dirt.

Lovely piles of dark soil guard the soon-to-be entrance to Phase 3 at Rosedale, a 650-home golf-and- country-club community on State Road 70 in Manatee County that was developed starting in 1993. Phase 2 came along in prompt fashion, but after buying the land for Phase 3 in 2003, closing the deal in 2005, The Hunt Group's Newton Development sat on it...

An award-winning home builder with a solid foundation of success, John Cannon continutes to set the standard by which others are measured.His homes are solid, substantial and stunning. His business continues to evolve to meet the ongoing needs of an increasingly savvy clientele. And his commitment to quality is unwavering. From new construction to substantial renovations, John Cannon is raising the bar on residential...

LAKEWOOD RANCH - Builder John Cannon Homes sold 37 homes during the first six months of 2011, three more than the company sold in all of 2010.

Lower construction prices also boost new homes' appeal.

Much of that activity has taken place in Lakewood Ranch, where Cannon is based, and which developers of the master-planned community are characterizing as the epicenter of Southwest Florida's real estate recovery.

Taylor Morrison swept the multi-family category and a Classic Homes by Clayton model was named the overall Green Award winner in this year’s version of the annual event.

A group of experts from outside the Manatee-Sarasota area visited all 58 model homes from 26 builders on the parade and presented awards for best model, best kitchen, best master suite, best curb appeal and more. That’s about double last year’s total and well above the number from 2009, which was the smallest in...

Neal Communities is having a memorable month. Next Friday, it will celebrate the completion of the company's 8,000th home over 40-plus years of building.

But first things first. This weekend, the final one of the 2011 Parade of Homes, Neal toasts its domination of the parade's Design Awards competition, presented by the Home Builders Association of Manatee-Sarasota.

Model condominiums and houses that were entered in the Parade of Homes were judged on the basis of curb appeal, floor plan, kitchen, master bath and architectural detailing.

For the judging, model residences were separated by price groupings that were unknown to the builders. The pricing represents the model sales price, excluding all furnishings and drapes; site development fees and costs; landscaping (sod and irrigation); lot; pool (pool cage,...

LAKEWOOD RANCH - Builder John Cannon knows what sets his homes apart from others, and soon he could personally relay that information to people who visit a model.Only he will not have to camp out at the homes.

Visitors will be able to use their cell phones to scan a Microsoft tag outside the model to access an interview with Cannon and even take a virtual tour, all before stepping indoors.

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Schroeder-Manatee Ranch is planning something new for its most upscale community, The Lake Club.

A new section of The Lake Club will be called the Vineyards with houses in the 2,400- to 3,200-square-foot range starting in the mid-$700,000’s, said Milt Flinn, president of LWR Communities LLC. The Lake Club, near the northeast corner of University Parkway and Lorraine Road, was introduced as a gated community of million dollar homes in 2007...

"I predicted then that there would be the ebb and flow that always happens, but I didn't know just how much it would ebb," Cannon said.

Although he had a backlog of home orders that would keep him busy for two more years, Cannon did what the other regional builders were forced to do and began downsizing his staff of 115 to the eventual 28 who comprised the backbone of the business.

"We stuck with our core business during the downturn," Cannon said. "But we adjusted our pricing...

Many of the 262 homes sites that were listed at more than $1 million are large lots that fringe the fairways of the Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed golf course or are nestled among 700-acres of nature preserve.

There is a "magnificent" country club with fine dining, a fitness center and golf shop. No tee times are required at the golf course. Just walk up and play.

And the community had other features common to boom-time developments: speculators and people who bought above...

Anchor Builders, Gibraltar Homes and John Cannon Homes have finalized their home designs for The Forest at High Hat Ranch, which is offering 54 three- to five-acre home sites in a community five miles east of I-75 on Clark Road. For information, visit www.theforestathihatranch.com.

Each of the builders selected a home site and worked closely with the community's Architectural Review Committee to ensure that their designs create a cohesive environment without duplicating a particular elevation or style. Of paramount importance is how each home is positioned on the home site to take full advantage of the lush natural surroundings that are so much a part of this neighborhood's unique charm. Floor plans are carefully tweaked to bring a...

"Oh, my gosh. Awesome," said Beverly Smock, deputy executive vice president of the Home Builders Association Manatee-Sarasota. "Paradise Homes had 500 people in their model the first weekend. Our (design awards) judges told us 30 people were at the door waiting to get in. The traffic was tremendous.

"And I have taken more calls (from tour-goers seeking information) this year than I can recall in 16 years of doing this." Many of the calls are from out-of-state.

Walking a treadmill most mornings at the Bath & Racquet Club, he and workout buddy/home builder Albert Sanchez often discussed when the moment would be right for re-starting the sales effort at Dabney's development, The Forest at Hi Hat Ranch.

The time, they agreed a few months ago, has come. So with a new lineup of builders that includes Roy Dupuis' Anchor Builders and Sanchez's Gibraltar Homes, to go with Forest original John Cannon's John Cannon Homes, the development's...

As Westwater Construction of Sarasota and Bruce Williams Homes of Bradenton have recently done, a big local home builder is shifting its emphasis to remodeling during the housing slowdown.

John Cannon Homes has expanded its services to include renovations of homes in Sarasota, Manatee and Hillsborough counties. "The remodeling process is quite complicated and very multifaceted, and requires one-point professional control from beginning to end...

One of the area's premier luxury homebuilders has been recognized for its success in constructing environmentally spaces with Sarasota County's newest Green Business Partnership. John Cannon Homes, which is based at 6710 Professional Parkway W., Sarasota, has been operating more than two decades in Sarasota, Manatee, Hillsborough, Pasco and Charlotte counties. In 2006, it won the Excellence Award by Residential Design and Build Magazine.

The homebuilding industry continues to suffer and struggle. In the Sarasota-Manatee area, a big company swallows its contingency plan, while a small one figures out how to grow.

This tale of two Greater Sarasota-area homebuilders has all the makings of a stellar story. For starters, it has underdog-style heroes: One is a former paramedic who's three years into running his own luxury, custom homebuilding company. The other is a former home site superintendent and salesman who, in 15...

The gated community, which is part of Heritage Harbour, features mainly Lennar homes, but John Cannon Homes and Todd Johnston Homes are building in an exclusive enclave of estate homes. The area will feature about 85 homes upon completion, most of which have water or golf course views like the Karinya II where the rolling hills of River Strand's private golf course create a...

LAKEWOOD RANCH - Luxury home builder John Cannon Homes has taken to the other end of the spectrum by creating a small division to complete and sell homes that are unfinished because the buyers or builders walked away from the work site.

WHO: Lakewood Ranch-based John Cannon HomesWHAT: Cannon has started a small division to complete and sell homes that are unfinished because buyers or builders walked away from them.WHY: Founder John Cannon is looking...

LAKEWOOD RANCH -- No developer is immune to the current downtrend in new housing, not even Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, the group behind the 8,500-acre Lakewood Ranch. But that's OK because no one really is in a big hurry to get it finished.

"I don't think any of us will be around by the time it's done anyway," said Milt Flinn, president of LWR Communities LLC, the residential subsidiary of Schroeder-Manatee. "It's been 10...

By MELISSA FOLLOWELL, Bradenton Herald- Local builders might not be getting as much money per home as they did during the real estate boom, but some say sales numbers are up slightly from last year.

Neal Communities sold 14 homes last month, resulting in a total sales volume of about $5.3 million. In November 2006, Neal sold 12 homes, but the sales volume was nearly $2 million higher at $7.2 million.

The higher sales number with lower sales volume is an indication on how far...

Potential homebuyers along with those curious about new architectural trends and others looking for decorating ideas are expected to view 36 model homes as the 10th annual Lakewood Ranch Tour of Homes kicks off today.

For some, it will be the first chance to catch a glimpse of Lakewood Ranch's most exclusive community to date, The Lake Club.

THONOTOSASSA - There's nothing understated about homes that get picked for the Greater Tampa Bay Luxury Home Tour. They are chosen for their million-dollar views, soaring ceilings, opulent furnishings and spalike retreats. They are chosen to give the rest of us a peek at the good life - a life of Sub-Zero refrigerators, infinity- edge pools and private movie rooms.

Stonelake Ranch, a 685-acre community on Lake Thonotosassa, is home to two of the...

Tampa Bay Business Journal -Following the trend set by several other builders, John Cannon Homes Inc. of Sarasota says that all of its residential properties now under construction and everything it builds in the future will meet or exceed guidelines set by the Florida Green Building Coalition.

"The idea of living in an environmentally friendly home is appealing on many levels, and buyers know that ultimately a green house will save them money," said company president John Cannon in a...

Melissa Followell- Bradenton Herald LAKEWOOD RANCH - The Lake Club is four weeks into its premiere and traffic by potential buyers is still steady. On Sunday, parking was a rare commodity as many toured the showcase homes in Lakewood Ranch's most exclusive community.

The community's 10 builders have each been assigned a week in which they can plan lectures or events for the public. Whether it's the events themselves or the scale of the homes being presented that is attracting crowds,...

John Cannon President, John Cannon Homes Inc.Smart Business Tampa Bay | January 2007 By Matt McClellan- In his desk, John Cannon keeps a tattered piece of paper that he cut from a magazine 20 years ago. He isn’t sure who originally wrote the words, but he keeps it around because the wisdom still rings true today. “Never hire or promote in your own image,” the quote says. “It is foolish to replicate your strengths and idiotic to replicate your weakness. It is essential to employ, trust...

Hi Hat Ranch home sites offer 'new ruralism' By STEPHEN FRATER [email protected]SARASOTA COUNTY -- If there was any doubt about the wealthy being able to weather the realty doldrums, The Forest at Hi Hat Ranch is proof they can. In the latest ultra-high-end development east of Interstate 75, The Forest joins The Concession, The Lake Club and The Founders Club at the pinnacle of what developers are targeting as the...

Harold Bubil- Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Nov. 17, 2006The Forest at Hi Hat Ranch won the praise of Realtors and others who were invited for a debut tour Friday morning.With its three- to six-acre home sites, it represents something new in the local real estate market. Developer Tom Dabney, representing the Turner family, calls it "the new ruralism." Rather than large lots or ranchettes, the Forest strikes a happy medium with roomy estates that easily accommodate its high-end model homes...

1. Personal involvement by John Cannon. John Cannon takes personal interest in every home he builds. His uncompromising commitment to excellence is evident from his involvement in the initial home design process to his personal on-site inspections of every home under construction.2. Personalized service. At every stage of your home building process, from your initial meeting with our sales staff to your on-site closing, our dedicated team members will guide you every step of the way....

The Elanora's Grand Opening Slated for February 6th at The Founders Club. This dramatic, yet classical design highlights spectacular living spaces for families and empty nesters alike. Lustrous color tones and lavish furnishings create an environment unlike any other John Cannon Home. The impeccable attention to detail that John Cannon Homes is known for can be found throughout the home that features 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, separate living and dining rooms, a family room, library, state-of-...

The area’s newest golf course, designed by Jack Nicklaus in association with Tony Jacklin, is scheduled to open January 23. This opening event will be by invitation only.

The special events planed for that day include a Warm-up Clinic, an Exhibition Round of Golf played by Jack Nicklaus, and a Cocktail Reception. The Concession is named after the exemplary sportsmanship displayed by Jack Nicklaus at the 1969 Ryder Cup at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England when he conceded a two-foot...

John Cannon understands that the shortage of skilled labor is a pressing concern for the entire industry. "We must begin now to build our own workforce and the best way to do this is through the Future Builders of America program," said Cannon.

T.J. Nutter, Chief Operating Officer of John Cannon Homes, works closely with the Sarasota High School Future Builders Chapter. John Cannon Homes donated $1,000 to that chapter. Nutter was also instrumental in the Foundation benefitting from...

Luxury custom homebuilder, John Cannon has invited Chef Paul Mattison to work with him in designing the kitchen, storage and wine cellar areas of his new model “The Royal Melbourne", located in one of the area’s newest neighborhoods, The Concession.

Award winning Chef Paul Mattison is the executive chef and proprietor of three local restaurants, a wine cellar, a custom kitchen design center and boutique, as well as an all full service catering company making him the natural choice for...

About John Cannon Homes

With impeccable attention to detail, John Cannon has set the standard for the quality in luxury home building for 30 years. On your homesite or one in of Southwest Florida's most prestigious neighborhoods, the fine craftsmanship of our homes and your unique vision come together to create a legacy for your family and generations to come. Learn More.